Fastnet Line is delighted to be associated with the Fastnet Charity Cycle 2011 which will take place on the 1st and 2nd July 2011 in Wales and Ireland.

The event is in aid of three very deserving West Cork based charities, Palliative Care at Castletownbere Hospital, Co-action and Spiritual Care Ireland at the Dechen Shying Spiritual Care Centre also in Castletownbere. Fastnet Line will provide transport for the cyclists to and from Swansea where the first leg of the trip will take place on Friday 1st July.

Commenting on the event, Paul O’Brien General Manager (Ireland) said, “Fastnet Line is delighted to support these wonderful charities and applauds the fantastic efforts of the people of Beara in promoting these worthy causes as well as their local area. We hope everyone will enjoy their time with us and we look forward to helping in any way we can to promote both the charity event and Beara tourism at the same time.”

The return trip will happen overnight on the Friday night with the numbers added to by some Welsh visitors for the second leg from Ringaskiddy to Castletownbere on Saturday 2nd July 2011.

The action begins on Thursday 30th June with the cyclists heading off from Ringaskiddy on board the Julia heading to Swansea overnight. The cyclists will meet with up with their Welsh counterparts and cycle a special route of 100 km which will offer the best south Wales has to offer.

After a long day in the saddle the participants will relax on the Julia with a well deserved meal and who knows a drink or two before getting a good night’s sleep. On Saturday 2nd July the group will leave Ringaskiddy via Carrigaline, Bandon, Bantry and Glengarriff as they head on towards Castletownbere in West Cork. At the finish of this marathon event the cyclists will be welcomed back home to Castletownbere to a huge welcome.

I’m writing this from Cork, Ireland’s second largest city and in true “second city syndrome” fashion proclaimed loudly by its citizens to be the the “real capital”. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has just concluded her hugely successful and historic visit to Ireland with a few hours here in Cork.

It is safe to say that the visit to Cork capped what has been an incredible week in Anglo-Irish relations in the most fantastic way possible. Milions of viewers all over the world will have seen a spick and span Cork City Centre bathed in bright sunlight with its citizens loudly cheering the royal visitors at their every appearance.

The Queen and Prince Phillip visited “The English Market” in the heart of the city to see the best Cork has to offer in fresh artisanal food and it looked magnificent. The market which dates from 1788 has had a chequered past but in the past fifteen years has gone from strength to strength and is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the city. It is of course a mecca for foodies and repays repeated visits as you uncover the mouthwatering delights at every turn within the compact indoor market.

The greatest delight perhaps, at the end of a week heavy with ceremony and symbolism, was the unexpected brief walkabout of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip and their interaction with the crowds on the Grand Parade. A moment of unscripted delight for the citizens of Cork and the TV pictures most hoped for in the tourism business here in Ireland.

An unintended consequence of this politically important week may well be the new sense of purpose and self-confidence that this visit has engendered in the population of this country which has suffered more than its share of slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in recent years. For this and so much more we have much to be grateful for this week.

The title isn’t meant to refer to the anthem which the Irish rugby team sing before each international match. Personally, I can take it or leave it. Mostly leave it. No, what the title is meant to evoke is that indefineable something which keeps visitors returning to these shores. In my mind it’s a synthesis of the scenery, the places, the people, the atmosphere, whether it be on the street, in a cafe or the pub – all of those mixed together into one potent brew.

When we talk about why people visit Ireland we usually laugh when we mention the weather in a, “It’s definitely not for the weather”, kind of way. But, if you have sat watching the ever changing weather patterns which are so common in these latitudes, especially where there are mountains and sea; then you will know that even the weather can confer a kind of magic on the landscape. That combination of four seasons not just in one day, but frequently in one hour, which can mesmerise with its subtle changes of light.

Ireland is a small country, still a relatively underdeveloped country, something still slightly unusual for our European neighbours. We have a connection with the land which has not always been healthy, but it has evolved into a love of place and it has fostered a deep and real connection between the people and their landscape. The Irish language, long since lost to the majority of the population, still remains ingrained in the landscape through the Gaelic placenames which live on in their anglicised form for all.

Perhaps there is something of this heritage and history which visitors sense when they come here. Perhaps our visitors envy us that continuation of the connection to the land which yet survives. Whatever the reason, any visitor who spends time in Ireland cannot but be aware of the living culture which transcends all outward manifestations and survives as steadfast and immutable as the landscape itself.

Fastnet Line with it’s Cork to Swansea ferry route celebrates the first anniversary of operations on Thursday 10th March. The first sailing on the route since 2006 took place on this date in 2010 when the Julia set sail from Swansea to Cork.

The re-establishment of the route was a boost to tourism on both sides of the Irish Sea last year and saw Fastnet Line exceed its targets for vehicles and passengers in a highly successful first season. More than 80,000 people travelled on the route between March and December 2010 in a year which saw the importance of access by sea emphasised during the now infamous “ash cloud crisis”.

Fastnet Line has also established a cost effective route for freight in and out of the south of Ireland and the UK and with Swansea directly connecting to the motorway network in the UK the miles saved for hauliers is becoming an increasingly important factor in these times of rising fuel prices.

Commenting on the prospects for 2011, Phil Jones CEO of Fastnet Line said, “We were delighted with our first year of operations and learned a lot but that is in the past now and we look forward to the challenges ahead. We are determined to build on the solid foundations we have created and with tight cost control and an aggressive strategy for marketing in the UK supported once again by our partners in Tourism Ireland we intend to do everything we can to increase numbers this year.”

A new range of value products including short breaks will go on sale from Monday 14th March and Fastnet Line also will continue its policy of targeting major sporting events on both sides of the water including Heineken Cup, Six Nations rugby, Cheltenham Racing Festival, the West Cork Rally and the Racing Home for Easter festival at Cork Racecourse.

Conor Buckley Chairman of West Cork Tourism Co-Op, the owners of Fastnet Line, said, “2011 promises to be a challenging year again for everyone in the tourist industry but the members of the Co-Op are determined to promote themselves strongly in our key market in the UK. We will also encourage everyone to use the route from Cork to Swansea in both directions as much as possible in order to ensure the viability of the business for the long term benefit of the whole community.”

To celebrate our first anniversary and combining it with our love of rugby, we at Fastnet Line are giving you and a friend the chance to win a free trip to the Wales v Ireland Six Nations clash which takes place in Cardiff on Saturday 12th March at 5 p.m.

In order to be in with a chance to win please email your answer to the following question to info@fastnetline.com

Q. In their last meeting at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in 2009 who scored the winning drop goal for Ireland?

Congratulations to Kate Leavy, winner of the return trip and match tickets to see Wales v Ireland Six Nations clash! Enjoy your sailing and the game Kate!

If you don’t win you can still travel with us to Cardiff at some really great prices.

Prices start from €60 per person without reserved accommodation, €78 per person with a reserved pullman seat and starting from €98 per person sharing return including a two berth inside cabin. All of these prices for foot passengers with bus transfers extra. We also have great deals if you want to bring your car.

Sailing on Friday night 11th March at 20.30 and arriving at 08.00 in Swansea on the morning of the game, Fastnet Line will provide bus transport for those travelling as foot passengers to Cardiff from 09.30. Supporters will then have plenty of time to soak up the pre-match atmosphere before the game which kicks off at 5 p.m.

Buses will again take supporters back after the game in plenty of time to check in for the departure of 23.50 and the ferry will arrive back in Cork at 12.00 noon on Sunday 13th March.

Here at Fastnet Line we like our sport, which is why March is one of our favourite times of the year. Not only do we get to go to Cardiff for our biannual meeting with our Celtic cousins on the rugby pitch in the Six Nations championship (Wales v Ireland, Millennium Stadium Cardiff, Saturday 12th March 2011 at 17.00) but we also get to look forward to the Cheltenham Racing Festival (Prestbury Park Cheltenham, 15th to 18th March 2011).

And if that isn’t enough, the West Cork Rally is being held on the weekend of the 18th to 20th March based in CLonakilty West Cork. Fastnet Line expects to bring competitiors from Wales and farther afield in the UK to one of the best tarmac rallies in Ireland.

Now not everyone in Ireland is a racing fan but in our experience most people will know a little about a horse or a jockey or perhaps a local trainer and everyone will have heard of Cheltenham. It is the Olympics and World Cup final of National Hunt racing in one extraordinary festival of racing. If you have not experienced it, we can only say GO! The atmosphere is electric at this incredible sporting occasion and is certainly one of those events that you have to be there to experience.

The easiest way to get to these two great sporting events is with Fastnet Line saiing from Cork to Swansea overnight in comfort and style. We have got special offers for both great events and are running a special sailing on Friday 11th March from Cork to Swansea to bring rugby supporters to Wales for the big match with a return sailing late on Saturday night to bring them back to Cork after the match. So whichever form of sport takes your fancy in March book now to get the best fares.

Cork Chamber of Commerce have announced that Fastnet Line has been shortlisted with three other Cork based companies in the “Emerging Cork Business” category for 2010. The company will also be in the running for the overall category of Cork Business of the Year.

The winners will be announced at the Cork Chamber of Commerce annual dinner to be held in City Hall Cork on Friday 4th February 2011.

“Against the challenges of today’s economic background, it is more important than ever that we recognise businesses for their achievements, contributions and entrepreneurial spirit. Judging by the exceptionally high standard of entries this year, it is easy to see why Cork is flourishing with business talent. It was a tough challenge to choose the shortlisted companies and we are very excited about announcing the overall winners shortly”, commented Conor Healy, Chief Executive of Cork Chamber.

Fastnet Line would like to congratulate all the shortlisted companies including their “rivals” in the emerging companies catgory which are, Brook Catering and HR Locker. Well done to them and may the best company win.